The amnesty announced by the State Duma in late April on occasion of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Soviet campaign against Nazi Germany will continue until the end of October

MOSCOW, September 21. /TASS/. More than 216,000 people have been granted exemption from punishment under Russia’s amnesty announced on occasion of the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Soviet campaign against Nazi Germany, a senior official at the country’s prison authority said on Monday.

Of them, over 30,000 people have been released from penal colonies and 6,751 inmates of pretrial detention facilities have walked free, said Valery Maximenko, the acting deputy head of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN).

The remaining almost 179,000 people entitled to the amnesty faced non-custodial penalties, he said. Among them are 34 pregnant women or women who have underage children, 127 men above 55 years of age and 41 women above 50 of age, as well as 69 handicapped people and persons diagnosed with tuberculosis and cancer.

A total of 32 teenagers have been also released from juvenile correctional facilities, Maximenko said.

The amnesty announced by the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, in late April will continue until the end of October. Up to 60,000 people sentenced to imprisonment and up to 200,000 people sentenced to other penalties were expected to be freed under the amnesty.